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MassDOT

Gov. Healey taps new boss for MassDOT, MBTA

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It’s official: Gov. Maura Healey has appointed Monica Tibbits-Nutt as secretary of transportation, removing the acting title from a position she’s held for two months.

Healey made the announcement Monday, saying that Tibbits-Nutt is a “proven leader who has done important work at MassDOT over the past year” as her administration has worked to make the state’s public transportation system “more reliable, safe and accessible.”

The governor initially appointed Tibbits-Nutt as undersecretary of transportation upon taking office last January, but elevated her to acting secretary in mid-September. The former secretary, Gina Fiandaca, abruptly resigned after just nine months on the job.

“As acting secretary, she hit the ground running by working with the MBTA to prepare a first-of-its-kind plan to fix the tracks by the end of next year, taking important steps to integrate climate planning across MassDOT, securing federal funding to support infrastructure needs, and stepping up for communities that were devastated by extreme weather,” Healey said in a statement.

She added, “Lt. Gov. Driscoll and I are confident that Secretary Tibbits-Nutt is the right person to lead the hardworking team at MassDOT and serve the people of Massachusetts.”

Prior to joining the Healey administration, Tibbits-Nutt was the executive director of 128 Business Council, an organization that builds privately-funded, cooperative public transportation routes through the Route 128 West Corridor.

She is a past member of the MassDOT Board of Directors and was vice chair of the MBTA Fiscal Management and Control Board, a previous iteration of the T board that oversaw the transit authority between 2015 and 2021.

As undersecretary of transportation, Tibbits-Nutt directed oversight for the MassDOT Rail and Transit Division, Aeronautics Division, and the Office of Transportation Planning, Healey’s office said.

Since taking over as acting secretary, Tibbits-Nutt has been responsible for the four divisions of MassDOT — Highway, Rail and Transit, Registry of Motor Vehicles and Aeronautics — and sits on the Board of Directors for Massport and the MBTA, according to the state website.

In a statement, Tibbits-Nutt said she was honored to more permanently take the helm at MassDOT “in this critical moment and build on the progress that the Healey-Driscoll administration has made together.”

The job pays $181,722, according to state payroll records.

“Over the past year, I have had the privilege to serve alongside and get to know the incredible team at MassDOT,” Tibbits-Nutt said. “We all share a deep commitment to delivering the safe, reliable, resilient and equitable transportation system that the people of Massachusetts deserve.”

In the dark: RMV records restricted with immigrant driver’s license law

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The state department of transportation will no longer release driving records to the public after the implementation of an immigrant driver’s license law this summer, which has given the agency cover to deny records requests for the documents.

The records were considered public and easily accessible from MassDOT before July 1, the start date of the driver’s license law, which provides a pathway to legal driving for immigrants who can provide some form of documentation.

But language included in the law bars the state from releasing any information related to a Massachusetts license holder. The statute says the information shall “neither be a public record nor disclosed by the registrar, except as authorized by regulations promulgated by the attorney general.”

The Herald requested on Aug. 21 all city councilors’ and Mayor Michelle Wu’s driving records to test whether the documents remained publicly accessible under the new law. In a letter Thursday, MassDOT Records Access Officer William Doyle denied the request, citing the state’s statutory exemption to the records law.

Access to driving records have long provided the public insight into state and local officials’ conduct on the road, including when Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara crashed into a Jamaica Plain home.

Supporters of the license law, which they dubbed the Work and Family Mobility Act, have said it is necessary to keep the information of a Massachusetts driver private to protect their immigration status, or lack thereof.

Attorney Brian Simoneau, an expert in RMV affairs, said he “totally wholeheartedly” supports protecting someone’s immigration status but pointed out the information is not found on driving records that the RMV can now withhold.

Simoneau said it has been frustrating as a lawyer to not be able to access clients’ driving records, which “makes it very difficult to represent a client when you don’t know their history.” Customers can access their own records online through the RMV, but Simoneau said the process can be cumbersome and labor intensive at times.

“There’s no need for this because a person’s immigration status or lack of status is not reflected on his or her driving record,” Simoneau told the Herald. “I don’t think the refusal to release these driving records impacts the purpose of the WFMA. It still maintains the privacy of the person’s immigration status. So I don’t think that there’s a need for this.”

The driver’s license law allows residents without lawful proof of presence in the United States to seek out a driver’s license from the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The law-enforcement backed law has been hailed by supporters as a way to make sure all drivers are insured and road safety is taught to all motorists.

Those who are in the U.S. without legal status — people whose visas have expired or who crossed the border illegally, among others — can obtain a standard, five-year Massachusetts driver’s license if they provide at least two documents proving their identity and date of birth.

The law says driving records could be released if regulations allow for their dissemination.

But rules drafted by Attorney General Andrea Campbell and implemented this summer “do not alter [the law’s] resumption that ‘information provided by or relating to the holder of a Massachusetts license issued under section 8 of said chapter 90’ may no longer be treated as public records,” Doyle wrote.

Simoneau said there is “a way to fix this.”

“It can be rectified by the enactment of a regulation by the Attorney General’s Office to allow third party access to these records,” he said.

Doyle said some have already attempted to appeal a denied request for driving records.

In an Aug. 31 letter, the Secretary of State’s supervisor of records cemented the use of the statutory exemption to the public records law as a reason to withhold driving records.

“A governmental entity may use the statutory exemption as a basis for withholding requested materials where the language of the exempting statute relied upon expressly or necessarily implies that the public’s right to inspect records under the public records law is restricted,” the letter said. “… I find that MassDOT may permissibly withhold the requested records from disclosure.”

AG Andrea Campbell (Herald file photo)
Nancy Lane/Boston Herald
AG Andrea Campbell (Herald file photo)

Sunday storm ravages Fitchburg; damage across the city

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FITCHBURG – Damage from a torrential rainstorm over the weekend that led to flash flooding has wreaked havoc across the city.

“Receiving heavy rains within a short amount of time, homes and streets were overwhelmed creating sinkholes, washouts, and flooded basements,” Mayor Stephen DiNatale posted on Facebook on July 16 following the storm. “Our first responders and DPW have been working and will continue to work around the clock. Our efforts have been focused on stabilizing and blocking off damaged sections of streets as well as pumping out basements and culverts. In addition we have been working with utility companies to restore power and ensure safety where utility services are exposed.”

DiNatale toured the city on Sunday afternoon to observe storm damage and visit residents affected by it along with Department of Public Works Commissioner Nicholas Erickson, Police Chief Ernest Martineau, Fire Chief Dante Suarez and Captain Patrick Haverty, and Representative Michael Kushmerek.

Mayor Stephen DiNatale, Department of Public Works Commissioner Nicholas Erickson, Police Chief Ernest Martineau, Fire Chief Dante Suarez and Captain Patrick Haverty, and Representative Michael Kushmerek toured Fitchburg on Sunday afternoon to observe flash flooding damage caused by a torrential rain storm on July 16 and visit residents affected by it. (COURTESY FITCHBURG MAYORS OFFICE)
Mayor Stephen DiNatale, Department of Public Works Commissioner Nicholas Erickson, Police Chief Ernest Martineau, Fire Chief Dante Suarez and Captain Patrick Haverty, and Representative Michael Kushmerek toured Fitchburg on Sunday afternoon to observe flash flooding damage caused by a torrential rain storm on July 16 and visit residents affected by it. (COURTESY FITCHBURG MAYORS OFFICE)

Kushmerek called the ravage to his home city “devastating” in a Facebook post and said he joined DiNatale and public safety and emergency management officials “in surveying the damage to the roads and critical infrastructure and visiting the homes of many who were personally impacted by the flooding and damage.”

“The road is structurally unsafe,” he said via phone on Monday afternoon of the large sinkhole at the bottom of Heywood Road. “That alone is a couple million minimum to fix, what a challenge.”

He went on to say that while it is one thing to see the destruction in person, he also has witnessed firsthand “the pain in the eyes of our residents.”

“Property damage, property lost because of this storm and realizing that for some, we can fix roads, but we can’t replace their things.”

He said Erickson conveyed during the tour that 3.5 inches of rain fell in one hour on Sunday — and that this was the second time in a week that the city has experienced heavy rains “that have exceeded what the inches per hour standard for storm water infrastructure is meant to handle.”

“Despite the host of improvements that our DPW has made to the storm water system and the amount of work we know that needs to be done across the city, even if it was finely tuned the city with its topography could not have handled the water and the severe weather we seem to be getting each year,” Kushmerek said.

Kushmerek praised DiNatale and other local and state officials as well as emergency management and the DPW for working quickly to respond to the storm and coordinate impact and relief efforts. He noted that DiNatale and the mayor’s team have been in constant communication with the governor’s office, the state Executive Office of Public Safety, and more and that DiNatale was in touch with him during the storm.

“The state’s response to the city has been tremendous and communication is ongoing,” Kushmerek said. “I want to commend the mayor.”

Mayor Stephen DiNatale, Department of Public Works Commissioner Nicholas Erickson, Police Chief Ernest Martineau, Fire Chief Dante Suarez and Captain Patrick Haverty, and Representative Michael Kushmerek toured Fitchburg on Sunday afternoon to observe flash flooding damage caused by a torrential rain storm on July 16 and visit residents affected by it. (COURTESY FITCHBURG MAYORS OFFICE)
Mayor Stephen DiNatale, Department of Public Works Commissioner Nicholas Erickson, Police Chief Ernest Martineau, Fire Chief Dante Suarez and Captain Patrick Haverty, and Representative Michael Kushmerek toured Fitchburg on Sunday afternoon to observe flash flooding damage caused by a torrential rain storm on July 16 and visit residents affected by it. (COURTESY FITCHBURG MAYORS OFFICE)

The city announced the closure of several streets late Sunday: Birch, Chestnut, Heywood from Salem Street to Birch Street, Hobson, and Salem. City officials also announced that areas including John Fitch Highway between Summer and Lunenburg streets and Franklin Road at Rollstone Street near Nikitas Field are areas of caution along with the bases of hills throughout the city where washouts deposited. Updates will be made as it changes.

“It has been a busy day coordinating the response to the flash flooding with DPW, the Fire Department and MEMA,” DiNatale posted on Sunday. “Thanks to this team we have already begun taking action. I would like to thank the Police, Fire and DPW for a quick response to the emergencies we experienced today. I also would like to thank Gov. (Maura) Healey’s office for their support meeting the needs of the City of Fitchburg. I will provide further updates as soon as more information is available.”

Damage assessment continued on Monday along with cleanup operations. DiNatale said his office has been in touch with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, which is supporting Erickson and the city in its efforts.

“I’d like to thank Fitchburg’s CERT team, first responders, and the DPW for prioritizing the safety of our citizens and the recovery of our infrastructure,” DiNatale posted on Sunday. “My office will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as city departments address damage and make repairs.”

To report storm damage and issues call the Fitchburg Department of Public Works at 978-829-1900.

Temporary ramp and lane closures on Route 2 west start Sunday

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FITCHBURG — The state Department of Transportation has announced it will be implementing intermittent overnight ramp and lane closures on Route 2 westbound between exit 92 (Route 2A, Route 140) and exit 95 (Route 31) starting Sunday.

The closures are expected to remain in place during the hours of 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, April 13. MassDOT said the closures will allow crews to “safely and efficiently conduct milling operations.”

Ramps will temporarily be closed along the corridor after 10 p.m. when construction operations are in the vicinity of the exit ramps. Traffic will be directed to follow the detour signage in place. MassDOT said multiple ramps will not be closed at the same time.

Nor’easter to blast Massachusetts; new rain-to-snow tracker

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Old Man Winter is apparently wicked angry that clocks were springing forward over the weekend.

So angry, in fact, that the season is serving up the strongest snowstorm of the winter during its final week.

A powerful nor’easter is set to blast Massachusetts from Monday evening through Wednesday, dumping several inches of heavy wet snow as strong damaging winds howl across the region. Travel is expected to be very difficult, and power outages are a concern with this whopper of a storm.

More than 12 inches of the tough-to-shovel snow is forecasted for parts of the Bay State, while the Boston-area could see a major difference in snowfall amounts within just miles. Logan Airport could get 4 inches of snow, while neighborhoods in the western part of the city may see more than 8 inches.

“It’s certainly one of those classic nor’easters where the rain/snow line will be fun to figure out,” AccuWeather meteorologist Jake Sojda told the Herald on Sunday.

“This does look like, especially for a lot of southern New England, that it will turn into a pretty impressive snowstorm,” he added, noting that enough cold air appears to be in place for significant snow totals.

The storm will move into the region on Monday night. It should start off as a lot of rain in the Boston-area before a changeover to heavy wet snow on Tuesday.

“Travel will be very difficult,” Sojda said. “If you’re in the city, it won’t be all that bad starting out on Tuesday morning, but it could be hard to get home by Tuesday afternoon. Conditions will be rapidly deteriorating throughout the day.”

Up to 60 mph wind gusts will be possible along the coast, which could blow down trees and power lines. The heavy snow will also increase the risk for power outages.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the high terrain of western and central Massachusetts, and a Winter Storm Watch for much of the state.

“The worst conditions will be during the day on Tuesday,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Alan Dunham, based in NWS’ Boston office. “If you don’t have to go out Tuesday, that would be a good day to work from home.”

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation on Sunday said the agency is monitoring the forecast and preparing to activate crews on Monday.

“We advise anyone traveling Monday into Wednesday to check weather forecasts to assist in making decisions about their trips, including what time to travel and what route to take,” said MassDOT spokesperson Jacquelyn Goddard.

Utility companies are also keeping a close eye on the forecast. Eversource said the energy company was prepositioning equipment and line and tree crews at its work centers around the state to respond to any damage or outages. Eversource also brought in extra out-of-state crews to assist with restoring power to customers, if needed.

“We began monitoring this storm last week using several weather services and continue to closely watch its path and will adjust our plan as needed,” said Eversource President of Electric Operations Craig Hallstrom.

“The heavy, wet snow and hazardous winds forecasted have the potential to bring down trees and branches onto electric lines and equipment, causing damage and power outages,” Hallstrom added. “The hazardous conditions can also make travel challenging for our crews, so we’re staging extra staff and equipment in our work centers across the state to ensure we’re ready to respond as quickly as possible to whatever this storm brings.”

James Christoffels loads shovels to the outside display at Charles Street Supply in Beacon Hill on Sunday. (Jim Michaud/Boston Herald)
James Christoffels loads shovels to the outside display at Charles Street Supply in Beacon Hill on Sunday. (Jim Michaud/Boston Herald)
Sand and loaders are ready to go at the Boston Public Works site on Frontage Road. (Jim Michaud/Boston Herald)
Sand and loaders are ready to go at the Boston Public Works site on Frontage Road. (Jim Michaud/Boston Herald)

State lawmaker looking to strip MBTA of commuter rail, ferry operations

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State Rep. William Straus filed two bills that would remove commuter rail and ferry operations from the MBTA, and leave it solely responsible for running the region’s bus and subway systems.

If the legislation is approved, commuter rail operations, except for the Fairmount Line which would remain a part of the MBTA, would transfer to the rail and transit division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

The ferry would be overseen by a new regional port authority, a political subdivision of the commonwealth created for the purpose of providing water transportation services, similar to regional transit authorities, the legislation states.

“My goal is to have a smaller T, which is then allowed to focus on its core mission,” said Straus, House chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation. “So, it would be buses and subway in the immediate Boston metro area, and that core mission is to safely get people back and forth throughout the day.

“A more targeted, less-broad-missioned T, I think, benefits everybody in the state on a number of different levels.”

Aside from Philadelphia, he said, “almost everywhere else” in the United States views its commuter rail differently from its closed-in metropolitan-area subway system, and has distinct oversight and governance for both.

“Whatever the circumstances that got us to the MBTA being in charge of both, it doesn’t work anymore,” Straus said, asserting that the governor’s office is already more involved with commuter rail operations than the T.

According to Straus, the MassDOT secretary of transportation made the decision to hire Keolis Commuter Services as the MBTA’s commuter rail operator, despite that decision technically being made within the T, by the general manager.

Commuter rail also moves people differently from the subway, its capital infrastructure needs are different, and the two systems answer to separate federal agencies for safety oversight, which are the Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Transit Administration, respectively, he said.

In addition, Straus said he doesn’t want to see capital needs for the subway system “in direct competition” with commuter rail, particularly with electrification of its diesel-powered fleet looming.

Similarly, he said safety oversight of the ferry is handled by the U.S. Coast Guard, and direct operation of three ferry routes in Boston Harbor is contracted out to a private company.

Ultimately, Straus is aiming for an MBTA that also delegates much of its major capital work, similar to what he said was done with South Coast Rail and the Green Line Extension.

A statutory change would not be necessary, and Straus sees a potential solution in the new high performance unit created by former MassDOT Secretary Jamey Tesler. Major capital projects could be run out of that secretariat, he said.